MRC Report Card: Media Coverage of the 9/12 Protests

Big liberal protests, such as the Million Mom March (for gun control), the 2006 demonstrations in favor of illegal immigrants’ “rights,” and numerous anti-war marches all garnered heavy play and adoring coverage from the broadcast networks, cable news outlets, and big papers like the New York Times. So how did those news outlets react to Saturday’s huge protest with conservative themes? MRC’s…
Rich Noyes
September 15th, 2009 2:05 PM

Limbaugh Soars in August Radio Ratings, But When Will MSM Catch On

Brian Maloney at The Radio Equalizer blog noticed a development over the summer that seems to have escaped much of the news media: In a whole bunch of major radio markets -- from New York City to San Diego, with St. Louis in between -- Rush Limbaugh's listenership has surged: “As frustration with Obama's policies reached a boiling point during August, Americans clearly turned to Rush for help,”…
Brent Baker
September 15th, 2009 2:04 PM

Broadcast Morning Shows Ignore 83-7 Anti-ACORN Senate Vote

A bipartisan consensus of senators in Washington is newsworthy in these fiercely partisan times, but when the matter of agreement is something that leaves egg on the faces of the left-wing community organizers, eh, not so much.  Yesterday, in an 83-7 vote -- 50 Democrats and 33 Republicans for; 6 Democrats and 1 independent against -- the Senate passed an amendment to an appropriations bill that…
Ken Shepherd
September 15th, 2009 1:57 PM

Newsweek's Fineman: Things Rogers Ailes 'Allowing on his Network Don't

So what if his network is drawing a larger audience than its combined competition? So what if one of his newest shows has drawn unprecedented numbers for a start-up that airs at 5 p.m.? According to Newsweek's Howard Fineman, Fox News President Roger Ailes is tarnishing his own personal reputation. It could just be sour grapes for Fineman, who is affiliated with rival network MSNBC and was…
Jeff Poor
September 15th, 2009 1:17 PM

Diane Sawyer's Surprisingly Tough Interview With Geithner: Hits Massiv

Good Morning America co-host Diane Sawyer on Tuesday conducted a surprisingly tough interview with Tim Geithner, grilling the Treasury Secretary on tax increases, spending and highlighting the 9/12 rally in Washington D.C. Speaking of the American people, she asserted, "They don't see a possible way out without tax raises." After Geithner tried to squirm out of responding, Sawyer, who will leave…
Scott Whitlock
September 15th, 2009 12:57 PM

Joe Wilson for President? Fox Biz 'Happy Hour' Crew Ponders Congressma

This is a notion that hasn't really gotten any traction anywhere yet, but could Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C. be a viable 2012 presidential election candidate?  The hosts of Fox Business Network's "Happy Hour," Eric Bolling, Rebecca Diamond and Cody Willard, contemplated that possibility on their Sept. 14 show, which comes on the eve of a vote on a "resolution of disapproval" on Wilson for calling out…
Jeff Poor
September 15th, 2009 12:56 PM

No Caption Needed

Seen at the massive Tea Party in Washington, DC on September 12:
NB Staff
September 15th, 2009 12:52 PM

CBS’s Rodriguez: Will Democrats ‘Finally’ Pass Hate Crimes Act

Approaching the 11-year anniversary of the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard, on Tuesday’s CBS Early Show co-host Maggie Rodriguez spoke with his mother Judy Shepard and asked about her efforts to pass hate crimes legislation: "Do you think this is finally the administration and the Congress that will get it done?" Shepard, who was on to discuss her new book about her son, was hopeful…
Kyle Drennen
September 15th, 2009 12:51 PM

Mark Levin’s ‘Liberty and Tyranny’ Sells 1 Million; Will Network

Matt Philbin
September 15th, 2009 11:55 AM

Geraldo Calls CNN's Sanchez a Jerk, Hangs Up on Malzberg for Calling S

WOR radio's Steve Malzberg likely had no idea the hornets nest he was walking into Monday when he decided to discuss race relations with Fox News's Geraldo Rivera.Regardless of the tension on display or the uncomfortable conclusion, what transpired perfectly demonstrated how far we as a nation are from ending racism. At first, Rivera seemed rather reasonable when he called CNN's Rick Sanchez a…
Noel Sheppard
September 15th, 2009 11:48 AM

Newsweek Writer Laments Overzealous Health Care Kept Grandma From Dyin

Two days after her magazine published Evan Thomas's "Case for Killing Granny" -- see related NewsBusters post here -- Newsweek staffer Jesse Ellison lamented that her "grandmother lived a full life and sought a quiet death" but "America's health-care system had a different idea of what was best." In a September 14 Newsweek Web exclusive, Ellison laid out a story of zealous coverage aimed at…
Ken Shepherd
September 15th, 2009 11:38 AM

Ratigan's Fawning Interview of Barney Frank

Interviewing Barney Frank this morning on proposals to regulate the financial markets, MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan seemed set on appeasing the notoriously rude representative.  Ratigan had surely seen the video of Mark Haines' CNBC interview of Frank back in June, and was determined not to suffer the same fate, in which Frank ripped off his earpiece and ended the segment short.Even before posing his…
Mark Finkelstein
September 15th, 2009 11:19 AM

CNN Spends Anniversary of Lehman Collapse Calling for Regulation

'American Morning' paints Wall Street as 'casino,' excludes critics of regulation.
Julia A. Seymour
September 15th, 2009 10:35 AM

'Beds'r Burning': Celebs to Sing Song to Stop Global Warming

All together now: "I'd like to teach the world to stop global warming."Though such likely won't be the lyrics, a group of the world's leading celebrities have joined together to create a new song to draw attention to climate change.After all, with an Oscar-winning film, a Nobel Peace Prize, and all the focus on Al Gore's now completely debunked schlockumentary "An Inconvenient Truth," there…
Noel Sheppard
September 15th, 2009 10:11 AM